Happy Valentine’s Day, What This Day Looks Like When You Have A Family

Happy Valentine’s Day to all my friends, family, followers celebrating it! May Cupid always bring you the love, joy and respect you deserve.

I still remember my first Valentine’s dinner with my husband, twelve days post-wedding. Time when every day was a celebration for us! Like any newly-wed, I was dressed in an ornate burgundy sari, gushing with shyness each time hubs romantically cinched my hand. What a night it was: candlelight, loads of flowers and champagne flowing through the night!! It was my first Valentine’s, yes you heard it right….I never dated-dated anyone before hubs, just married him, and relocated to the States soon after. 

This romantic-date-night scene continued for five years, until we had our daughter. Date nights turned into diaper-changing and nursing nights. Elaborate candlelight dinners were replaced by ready-to-eat meal boxes. This became our life for the first couple of years, until Ribhya became more conscious socially, and we were able to go out more often. 

I wouldn’t have it any other way! Our Valentine’s day celebration today is different but special. Valentine’s is unconventional when you are almost 40 and have a family. But, the joy just doubles when I have my two, now three including Maze, Valentine’s with me . I have three souls who I call my world, who I share my love with and who are my partners-in-crime in everything. We do things together and when we celebrate Valentine’s day or any other man-made holiday- it is fun!

While the enthusiasm remains, here’s how things have changed over years…

LOVE

Love doesn’t have to be merely physical or material, it should be more about respect, patience and time. Being together, listening to each other, respecting each other is LOVE and we are here for it all! Love is there but we aren’t 16 anymore. Love for us now is taking up home projects together, traveling together, cooking together and being there for each other every step of the way.

Hugs and kisses

You won’t believe, but Ms. Riri doesn’t like to be kissed- she calls it slobbering. But when she is in a good mood, seldom do we miss a chance to kiss her and regarding hugs: it is free-flowing in our family! Plus the pandemic taught us the value of holding each other close and tight- so be it! Our mornings start with kissing and hugging each other and it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

DATe NIGHt

Date nights were a regular thing during the first five years of our marriage, but once we had Ms. Riri- date nights became a mammoth task! There was so much planning and coordination involved, that we would just order delivery. Baby-sitter, food, drinks, bathing, bedtime, everything needed pre-planning, hence we slowed down on eating out. Now that Ms. Riri is all grown up, date nights either happen with her or in the afternoons or when she is at school.

Gifts/flowers

While gifts were never really a thing, flowers always were. Flowers are my favorites and hubs makes sure to bring them on occasions and non-occasions as well! His reasoning for not getting me gifts “you buy whatever you want and like, I am always clueless what special thing to buy”- So he buys me memories. We have been prioritizing travel more than anything and I couldn’t ask for any better gift which doesn’t wait for any special day. It happens when time permits.

Dressing up

Talk to me about this one- I’ll never miss a chance of dressing up! It runs in my blood, all my family members like to look their best, even when grocery shopping. I like to dress up whenever with hubs, but then it is more for him. The way he likes it- a tad bit toned down! I will wear clothes to my liking but keep my makeup more natural as hubs likes more au-natural look on me. He also makes an effort to dress up for me, just the way I like it!

Get my look

Congratulations to Lee of Legalee Blonde, she is the featured blogger of the week.

Now it is your turn to share your favorite looks.